View source for Mel Pender

{{short description|American sprinter}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = Mel Pender
| image =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth-date and age|October 31, 1937}}
| birth_place = [[Atlanta, Georgia]], U.S.
| headercolor = lightsteelblue
| show-medals = yes
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalSport | Men's [[athletics (sport)|athletics]] }}
{{MedalCountry | the {{USA}} }}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Athletics at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]] }}
{{MedalGold | [[1968 Summer Olympics|1968 Mexico City]] | [[Athletics at the 1968 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metres relay|4 × 100 m relay]]}}
}}
{{Infobox military person
|allegiance    = [[United States of America]]
|branch        = [[File:United States Department of the Army Seal.svg|20px|United States Army seal]] [[United States Army|U.S. Army]]
|rank          = [[Captain (United States O-3)|Captain]]
|unit          = [[82nd Airborne Division]]<br>[[9th Infantry Division (United States)|9th Infantry Division]]
|serviceyears  = 1955–1976
|battles       = [[Cold War]], [[Vietnam War]]
|awards        = [[Bronze Star Medal|Bronze Star]]
}}
'''Melvin Pender Jr.''' (born October 31, 1937, in [[Atlanta, Georgia]]) competed as a runner in the 1964 and 1968 Olympics, winning an Olympic gold medal in the [[Athletics at the 1968 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metres relay|4 × 100&nbsp;m]] [[Relay race|relay]] at the [[Athletics at the 1968 Summer Olympics|1968 Summer Olympics]]. He had been a member of the Philadelphia Pioneer Track Club where he was coached by Alex Woodley, who had coached several other athletes who went on to participate in Olympic events.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/26/business/alex-woodley-71-coach-of-philadelphia-track-club.html |title=Alex Woodley, 71, Coach Of Philadelphia Track Club |work=The New York Times |date=May 26, 2004}}</ref>

==U.S. Army career==
Pender enlisted in the [[United States Army|U.S. Army]] at age 17. In 1960 he was assigned to the [[82nd Airborne Division]] on [[Okinawa Island|Okinawa]]. Following the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, he returned to military service, graduating from [[Officer Candidate School]] in 1965. He was subsequently deployed to [[South Vietnam]] where he served with the [[9th Infantry Division (United States)|9th Infantry Division]] in the [[Mekong Delta]]. Subsequently he was ordered to return to the U.S. to train for [[Athletics at the 1968 Summer Olympics|1968 Olympics]] in [[Mexico City]].<ref name=Olympics/>

After the 1968 Olympics, Pender returned to South Vietnam where he earned a [[Bronze Star Medal]]. Returning to the U.S. in August 1970, he then worked as assistant track and field coach and then as head track coach at the [[United States Military Academy]] at [[West Point, New York|West Point]].<ref name=Olympics/> He later earned a bachelor's degree from [[Adelphi University]]. He retired from the Army in 1976 with the rank of [[Captain (United States O-3)|Captain]].

==Olympic athlete==
While serving in the U.S. Army his incredible speed was noticed in camp football games. He was selected to the [[Athletics at the 1964 Summer Olympics|1964 Olympic Team]], but was hampered by injury and finished seventh in the [[Athletics at the 1964 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metres|100 meters]] at [[Tokyo]].<ref name=Olympics>{{cite web|url=https://olympics.com/en/news/melvin-pender-the-sprinter-carted-off-on-a-stretcher|title=Melvin Pender: The sprinter who was carted off on a stretcher - but never gave up|publisher=International Olympic Committee|date=29 October 2020|accessdate=1 March 2022}}</ref>

Nearing age 31, Pender again made it to the [[Athletics at the 1968 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metres|100&nbsp;m final]], where his explosive start and exceptional acceleration brought him to the lead midway through the race, but he faded slightly and finished sixth. In the relay, he was chosen to run the second leg. The American team won the gold medal in a new [[world record]] of {{nowrap|38.24 seconds.}} He also set world records in the 50&nbsp;yds at 5.0, 60&nbsp;yds at 5.8, 70&nbsp;yds at 6.8 and 100 meters at 9.9 seconds.<ref name=Olympics/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}
* {{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/pe/mel-pender-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418010950/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/pe/mel-pender-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2020-04-18 |title=Mel Pender}}

==External links==
*''[http://www.runnersgazette.com/features/mel.htm Runners Gazette]'' – Soldier-Athlete Mel Pender, Olympic Gold Medalist
*[https://news.adelphi.edu/au_news/mel-pender-continues-to-go-for-the-gold/ Adelphi University] – Mel Pender ’76, ’97 (Hon.), continues to go for the gold

{{Footer Olympic Champions 4x100 m Men|1968}}
{{Footer Australia NC 100m Men}}
{{Footer USA Track & Field 1964 Summer Olympics}}
{{Footer USA Track & Field 1968 Summer Olympics}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pender, Mel}}
[[Category:1937 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Track and field athletes from Atlanta]]
[[Category:American men sprinters]]
[[Category:African-American track and field athletes]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1964 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1968 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States in track and field]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1968 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:United States Army officers]]
[[Category:United States Army personnel of the Vietnam War]]
[[Category:Adelphi University alumni]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American sportsmen]]
[[Category:21st-century African-American sportsmen]]
[[Category:Australian Athletics Championships winners]]
[[Category:21st-century American sportsmen]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]